So Jon went to see his doctor a few weeks ago - like the first week of January I think it was. He had a lab slip from his last appointment with the surgeon in November - he was to get his B12 and D levels rechecked since they gave him ONE B12 booster shot at that appointment. They said to get the labs done in January. So with the upcoming visit to the family doc, I made sure he got rechecked before then.
Fast forward to the visit. Jon pleads with the doctor to do something because his pain is getting worse and unbearable, and he can't take it. The doctor silently stares at his computer and clicks all around at who knows what. He softly says I see you had labs done earlier this week. I speak up and say yes - what were the results? He says "The D results aren't in for some reason, and your B12 is borderline, but not that bad. We do still need to get it up." I reply WHAT WAS THE NUMBER? He says "It does need to come up some, but we have to give it time". I repeat WHAT WAS THE NUMBER? He finally says 179. 179? Seriously? It was 178 three months ago. He has been taking obscene amounts of B12 (he takes 7500mcg/day) and he had the booster shot in November that everyone said would help tremendously. So besides the fact that it's obviously NOT coming up at a reasonable pace, 179 is NOT acceptable. His neurologist at Hershey (who discovered the problem) stated that his levels should be around 1,000. So Jon spoke up (which I was proud of) and said no, Hershey says it needs to be 1,000. Doctor simply stuttered and moved on to the next topic. He is thinking out loud and says "Have you ever tried Neurontin for your pain?" To which Jon & I both quickly replied YES! Mind you he was on around 3,200 mg every day for oh, 5 years?!? But obviously he didn't remember that or bother looking (and yes...it's on his chart med list). He then says "Have you tried XYZ (the name is slipping my mind at the moment..)?" To which we replied YES. He can't take that because it tears up his stomach. Again - on the chart med list). So he says well, let's try Lyrica. He had prescribed it once before, but we were in the midst of a Medicare and secondary insurance issue and it wasn't approved. So he said he would try again to have it approved. Fast forward a little - it was approved for 3 years at 75mg twice a day. Praise God! He also then says, well maybe we can increase your Imipramine, but maybe I should check your bloodwork first. So that's where he left things. They gave him a B12 shot in the office and said they will give him one monthly until we can get his levels up where they need to be. We left and got the labs done.
Last week we got a call that his Imipramine levels were borderline toxic. Doctor states he will "have to keep a better eye on that" and that he should decrease his dose from 5 to 3 pills a day. Gee, glad he complained he was having more pain that prompted you to check his levels....ugh. So, here we are and he is trying a new medication (the Lyrica) and decreased his Imipramine. However, he put a call in to the doctor yesterday because his pain is getting unbearable. It seems his meds are just losing their effectiveness. The doctor increased the Lyrica to double the dose, hoping it will get built up in his system faster. So we wait.
He's falling more, his headaches are worse, his memory is worse. We had a couple over to watch football on Sunday, and had a nice time. Yesterday he says to me "Hon, Nevaeh said R & S stayed all day yesterday, is that true?" I said yeah, you don't remember? He said not really. I remember them being here, but not really details. How late did they stay? I honestly find it so sad and heartbreaking. I know it's just a very, VERY small taste of what families who have loved ones with Alzheimer's go through, and it's sad.
So yesterday I put an emergency call in to MOM. I said mom, Jon's going downhill -- I'm gonna need more help. She already watches Riley every other Thursday. She said she could take him today overnight (she just picked him up) and next week she'll take him Tues/Wed/Thurs, so that's a good start. Jon is in bed, and hopefully won't *need* to get out of bed until Thursday morning (this is mom's off week for Riley). I'm settling in at my desk for a few hours of typing until the girls get home from school, then it's homework and dinner. Jon's mom comes tonight to read to them and put them in bed...I may just take a break from work and go to the couponing group @ church tonight...but I feel guilty. I should focus on getting stuff done here - there's so much! Hopefully this weekend I can get some baking/cooking done to have some meals in the freezer. Unfortnately, I know the signs, and I can see Jon is going down. I don't know when, but probably one of these mornings he just won't be able to wake up and he'll be in a *coma* for a while until his body regains some strength. So I need to prepare and pace myself. We have a gift card for the movies and we have a babysitter for Friday night - we were planning on a date night, so I'm praying maybe he can get enough rest these next 3 days that we can do that. Our relationship is so strained and we need that time together. Sure, we're with each other 24/7 since I work at home, but it's not meaningful time because it's kids, cleaning, laundry, bills, etc. and hardly ever just enriching time together. We're trying to make it a point more to do dates...but this is what seems to happen. It's hard to plan! So that's the life around here.
Just keep those prayers coming, we appreciate them!!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Testing - Life, not Medical
I have a Joyce Meyer daily devotional plan on my Bible on my iPhone. It even reminds me every day to read it!
I've been lacking. Some days I just ignore it. I know I shouldn't. I know I need to draw closer to God, not ignore Him. Regardless of my feelings, I do find some comfort in knowing I am a child of God and that He does have an ultimate plan for our lives. I cannot imagine going through this without my God by my side.
But I'm still human. I still feel the emotions that come with testing. I can still feel lonely. I can still be sad. And I am.
But today when I opened up my devotional, it was just enough to help me through ... just today. Just one day at a time. That's all I'm striving for at this point.
Here is what it said...coincidence? I think not. My God is not a God of coincidence.
Life is filled with challenges that test our determination and our faith in God. Whether we're faced with the impending threat of evil or with everyday hassles, the quality of our character is sure to be tested on a regular basis.
It would be a great mistake to overlook the fact that God tests our hearts, our emotions, and our minds. What does it mean to test something? It means to put pressure on it to see if it will do what it says it will do. Will it hold up under stress? Can it perform at the level its maker says it can? Is it genuine when measured against a true standard of quality?
God does the same with us.
Are you being tested today? The key is to keep trusting God, even if you don't understand. There is no such thing as trusting God without unanswered questions, but when you push ahead, despite your doubts, HE will build you up and make you strong.
I'm not perfect, and I don't claim to be on a spiritual high, happy and joyous that God is testing me. BUT - I'm going to try just a little harder to face each day with "God, what are you trying to teach me?" and use whatever that is for His glory.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
REALITY
Warning: I state my true feelings in this post. I don't mean to offend anyone, but I don't feel anything I have said is unpleasing to God or that I have any reason to be ashamed. Read at your own risk.
Things have been difficult around here.
For the last few weeks I found myself just saying “get through the holidays, it’s just the stress of holidays”. Well, it’s not. It’s just life.
We had a wonderful Christmas. I worked a lot of long hours and long days the last few months because Jon & I really wanted the kids to have a special Christmas. We know material things won’t make them happy, but there is so much chaos around here all the time and so much stress, we wanted to be able to give them one of the things all three have been wanting - iPod touches.
And so we spread out our Christmas shopping over the last few months (we started Christmas shopping in August!), and we were truly blessed as far as gift giving this year.
None of it matters. I would give it all away to have peace and health in our home.
I know that life is filled with peaks and valleys. I know that there have been times I’ve had
super happy posts and I’ve dealt with life in a positive way. Today is not one of those days. This month is not one of those months. I personally am in a very low valley. I am sad. I feel hurt. I feel stressed. I feel like a failure in so many ways. I feel burnt out.
There are simple things that are getting to me, maybe even call them selfish things, and then there are big things. One of the simple things is I find it extremely frustrating that I have to drive everywhere and do everything. I can’t ask Jon to run to the store for a gallon of milk. I can’t have Jon run and get pizza for dinner. I can’t ask Jon to take the kids to the park and have quiet time here at the house. I can’t have Jon take Natalie to gymnastics. I have to take all the kids to their appointments. I have to take Jon to his appointments, lab work, pick up his prescriptions (do you realize I’m at the pharmacy at least 5x a month?) I have to drive everywhere, all. the. time. I hate it. I hate driving -- well, except when I’m by myself (rarely), because that means quiet time in the car. It’s not a big deal - but think about your life. Think about everything your spouse drives to/for. I know I never thought about it before I was in this situation. It’s a pretty big deal ... to me. I have the responsibility of doing things around the house - things that may seem so simple, but they’re not. I have two heavy bathroom mirrors that have been sitting in the box in my master bath for months.....because I can’t hang them myself (or at least not get them up there straight!! Haha) ...nor do I honestly know how to hang something so heavy in a proper way. Call
me ignorant -- it’s the truth. In a few months it will be my responsibility to get the supplies to put a shed in the back yard - something about stones and wood to make a support?? I don’t know...but I’ll have to figure it out...and get it done. This house needs painted inside. Terribly.
I have some of the paint - but no time to do it where I won’t end up with a 5 gal bucket of paint on my floors. It’s never ending the things that normally would be no brainers in a house - but I have to figure out how to take care of them myself - and do it myself usually.
I’m frustrated with Jon’s health. It’s at a standstill with doctors, yet he’s actually been feeling worse. As of right now they just started with monthly B-12 injections. That’s it. My mom helped me find and I purchased some sublingual Vit D & B-12 pills for him to take (they dissolve in his mouth) to see if it helps with his absorption, since it’s obvious that’s an issue. He sees a new doctor, an internist, at Hershey on February 20th. I had a list a mile long of things to do and phone calls to make yesterday, and somehow didn’t have “get a new family doctor” on that list. So that will be on my call list for Friday. Jon is incapable mentally and emotionally of handling this task, and it can’t be put off any longer. I just have to do it. Imagine though, having gone to more doctors than you can remember or even keep count of, and every single one saying the
same thing -- they can’t help you. They don’t know why you have pain. So now imagine trying just one more. Yeah, it’s not going to be easy.
I’m frustrated with our children. That’s not to be mistaken with saying I don’t love them. I DO. Our children are very, VERY high energy and very intelligent and need a lot of stimulation, both physically and emotionally. I’m tapped out. Jon’s been tapped out. They come home from school, and it’s just instant mayhem. They’re not bad. Really, they’re not. They act the way they do because of the life they live. It’s not normal. We send them off to school M-F. Saturdays Natalie has gymnastics in the morning for an hour (at which time I usually have the question of when am I going to put Nevaeh in Karate -and Riley too) and I start having heart palpitations because my heart aches for her. I want to. I need to. But I just cannot imagine adding something
else to my schedule. Bedtime is ridiculous. The girls have gotten slightly better, but Riley -- oh wow. Just last night I noticed on my phone at 10:00 I had a random text from Natalie’s iPod - I knew immediately he had gone into her room and taken it off her dock and done it. So I go upstairs and find him in Natalie’s bed, under her covers, she’s sawing logs, and he’s playing her iPod. This is 2.5 hours after he was put in bed originally. Jon & I tag teamed putting him back in his room and dealing with the screaming until he finally went to sleep. Natalie & Nevaeh have each or both been waking up in the middle of the night with nightmares or saying they can’t go back to sleep. I don’t know how to help them. Nevaeh has constant pain, constant headaches. I have had her to the doctor and I’m just dreading taking her back again, but I know I need to.
I’m frustrated with relationships. I’m being real here people - and I speak for myself and Jonathan - we feel abandoned. We attend a church of roughly 2,000 people, and a LOT of those people know who we are simply because my father-in-law is one of the pastors on staff. Since Jon started deteriorating in May - TWO people have made a point to actually come to the house to visit him. TWO. That’s almost 9 months, and TWO visitors. One person has made it a point
to call or text and even come and pick Jon up and take him to breakfast for a few hours. Yes, you have to load his wheelchair in your trunk and you have to come get him, but it’s not THAT
bad. The other has come to visit and also helped tremendously in the beginning with watching kids, helping make sure we could get to appointments and such. Yes, for the first few months we had meals brought to us, and don’t get me wrong, that is such a blessing. Jon used to be our cook (and he still is for the most part), but it’s hard for him to stand and cook a meal each night. I
am not in any way trying to sound ungrateful. But I would like to think that if I had a friend who was going through what we’re going through - I would reach out to them. Call them, e-mail them, send a note of encouragement, offer to help in whatever capacity I could, and VISIT. I mean he’s basically a shut-in. Yes, I drag him to the store with me and he goes to lots of doctor appointments, but he doesn’t get out to socialize. He can’t even attend church at this point
because of his migraines and the noise level is too much for him.
From my perspective, I feel like there are a lot of people who say they are praying for us -- and they are, and I am thankful for that...but I feel like it ends there. Over the last 9 months I have had 2 women who have faithfully called me or e-mailed or texted and have brought meals and gone out for a bite to eat . But for the most part, I don’t have much of a social life either outside this house. Thankfully I have a friend thousands of miles away (not really that far, but it feels like it!) in Georgia who puts up with my incessant rants via text -- maybe someday I’ll meet her!!
Some of you may be reading this thinking WOW. She is really ungrateful and that’s really rude. I’m sorry you feel that way. I know it’s hard to comprehend and understand what Jon & I are going through. I know it’s sad and depressing to talk about our life. But when someone has cancer or breaks a bone or someone dies - everyone jumps to shower that family with help and support, no? Jon’s “cancer” is long term. We’ve been dealing with it for almost 8 years and it may be for the rest of our lives. It’s just as hard as the first day - no, make that harder, because we
have 3 kids now. But it’s easy for people to forget. Easy for people to just move on and just say all I can do is pray. Where is the love in that? If your child had long term health care needs, would you grow “accustomed” to them and be less concerned about their well-being, emotionally and physically? No. You would be there every day. Now, I’m not saying that our life is your number one priority. Goodness I know people have lives. I know people have children. I know people have jobs, extracurricular activities, and other friends. I also know other people are dealing with hard times and heartache too. So I’m not saying HEY LOOK AT ME, I’M SPECIAL. I’m
not. We’re not. But we do need friends and genuine love and support, and we feel very abandoned.
Saying all that, I know we need to trust God, and we DO - but He created us to love one another.
He created us for each other. I wouldn’t wish my life on my worst enemy, and I can imagine being on the other side of the picture and it being difficult to know how to love and to express
that love. All I ask is that you try. If not for/to me - to my kids. To Jonathan. We’re human, and humans crave love. It won’t take away our pain, it won’t take away our struggles, but at the end of the day it will make us SMILE and feel like we really matter to someone and that someone actually knows we’re still here and loves us.
So now that I’m done my pity party, I’ve got to get back to work, which is a whole other post!
Again, I don’t mean this post to be offensive to anyone or to hurt anyone’s feelings. But I don’t
feel as a Christian I should have to pretend or hide the way I feel....and maybe some of you don’t even realize how much we’re hurting or how much we need this kind of support. Now you do. So please, if not for me, for Jon - don’t let him go through this alone - and for the kids, help us make them realize how special they are and how loved they are, regardless of the stress at home.
You never know how something so small might make our day THAT much brighter.
Things have been difficult around here.
For the last few weeks I found myself just saying “get through the holidays, it’s just the stress of holidays”. Well, it’s not. It’s just life.
We had a wonderful Christmas. I worked a lot of long hours and long days the last few months because Jon & I really wanted the kids to have a special Christmas. We know material things won’t make them happy, but there is so much chaos around here all the time and so much stress, we wanted to be able to give them one of the things all three have been wanting - iPod touches.
And so we spread out our Christmas shopping over the last few months (we started Christmas shopping in August!), and we were truly blessed as far as gift giving this year.
None of it matters. I would give it all away to have peace and health in our home.
I know that life is filled with peaks and valleys. I know that there have been times I’ve had
super happy posts and I’ve dealt with life in a positive way. Today is not one of those days. This month is not one of those months. I personally am in a very low valley. I am sad. I feel hurt. I feel stressed. I feel like a failure in so many ways. I feel burnt out.
There are simple things that are getting to me, maybe even call them selfish things, and then there are big things. One of the simple things is I find it extremely frustrating that I have to drive everywhere and do everything. I can’t ask Jon to run to the store for a gallon of milk. I can’t have Jon run and get pizza for dinner. I can’t ask Jon to take the kids to the park and have quiet time here at the house. I can’t have Jon take Natalie to gymnastics. I have to take all the kids to their appointments. I have to take Jon to his appointments, lab work, pick up his prescriptions (do you realize I’m at the pharmacy at least 5x a month?) I have to drive everywhere, all. the. time. I hate it. I hate driving -- well, except when I’m by myself (rarely), because that means quiet time in the car. It’s not a big deal - but think about your life. Think about everything your spouse drives to/for. I know I never thought about it before I was in this situation. It’s a pretty big deal ... to me. I have the responsibility of doing things around the house - things that may seem so simple, but they’re not. I have two heavy bathroom mirrors that have been sitting in the box in my master bath for months.....because I can’t hang them myself (or at least not get them up there straight!! Haha) ...nor do I honestly know how to hang something so heavy in a proper way. Call
me ignorant -- it’s the truth. In a few months it will be my responsibility to get the supplies to put a shed in the back yard - something about stones and wood to make a support?? I don’t know...but I’ll have to figure it out...and get it done. This house needs painted inside. Terribly.
I have some of the paint - but no time to do it where I won’t end up with a 5 gal bucket of paint on my floors. It’s never ending the things that normally would be no brainers in a house - but I have to figure out how to take care of them myself - and do it myself usually.
I’m frustrated with Jon’s health. It’s at a standstill with doctors, yet he’s actually been feeling worse. As of right now they just started with monthly B-12 injections. That’s it. My mom helped me find and I purchased some sublingual Vit D & B-12 pills for him to take (they dissolve in his mouth) to see if it helps with his absorption, since it’s obvious that’s an issue. He sees a new doctor, an internist, at Hershey on February 20th. I had a list a mile long of things to do and phone calls to make yesterday, and somehow didn’t have “get a new family doctor” on that list. So that will be on my call list for Friday. Jon is incapable mentally and emotionally of handling this task, and it can’t be put off any longer. I just have to do it. Imagine though, having gone to more doctors than you can remember or even keep count of, and every single one saying the
same thing -- they can’t help you. They don’t know why you have pain. So now imagine trying just one more. Yeah, it’s not going to be easy.
I’m frustrated with our children. That’s not to be mistaken with saying I don’t love them. I DO. Our children are very, VERY high energy and very intelligent and need a lot of stimulation, both physically and emotionally. I’m tapped out. Jon’s been tapped out. They come home from school, and it’s just instant mayhem. They’re not bad. Really, they’re not. They act the way they do because of the life they live. It’s not normal. We send them off to school M-F. Saturdays Natalie has gymnastics in the morning for an hour (at which time I usually have the question of when am I going to put Nevaeh in Karate -and Riley too) and I start having heart palpitations because my heart aches for her. I want to. I need to. But I just cannot imagine adding something
else to my schedule. Bedtime is ridiculous. The girls have gotten slightly better, but Riley -- oh wow. Just last night I noticed on my phone at 10:00 I had a random text from Natalie’s iPod - I knew immediately he had gone into her room and taken it off her dock and done it. So I go upstairs and find him in Natalie’s bed, under her covers, she’s sawing logs, and he’s playing her iPod. This is 2.5 hours after he was put in bed originally. Jon & I tag teamed putting him back in his room and dealing with the screaming until he finally went to sleep. Natalie & Nevaeh have each or both been waking up in the middle of the night with nightmares or saying they can’t go back to sleep. I don’t know how to help them. Nevaeh has constant pain, constant headaches. I have had her to the doctor and I’m just dreading taking her back again, but I know I need to.
I’m frustrated with relationships. I’m being real here people - and I speak for myself and Jonathan - we feel abandoned. We attend a church of roughly 2,000 people, and a LOT of those people know who we are simply because my father-in-law is one of the pastors on staff. Since Jon started deteriorating in May - TWO people have made a point to actually come to the house to visit him. TWO. That’s almost 9 months, and TWO visitors. One person has made it a point
to call or text and even come and pick Jon up and take him to breakfast for a few hours. Yes, you have to load his wheelchair in your trunk and you have to come get him, but it’s not THAT
bad. The other has come to visit and also helped tremendously in the beginning with watching kids, helping make sure we could get to appointments and such. Yes, for the first few months we had meals brought to us, and don’t get me wrong, that is such a blessing. Jon used to be our cook (and he still is for the most part), but it’s hard for him to stand and cook a meal each night. I
am not in any way trying to sound ungrateful. But I would like to think that if I had a friend who was going through what we’re going through - I would reach out to them. Call them, e-mail them, send a note of encouragement, offer to help in whatever capacity I could, and VISIT. I mean he’s basically a shut-in. Yes, I drag him to the store with me and he goes to lots of doctor appointments, but he doesn’t get out to socialize. He can’t even attend church at this point
because of his migraines and the noise level is too much for him.
From my perspective, I feel like there are a lot of people who say they are praying for us -- and they are, and I am thankful for that...but I feel like it ends there. Over the last 9 months I have had 2 women who have faithfully called me or e-mailed or texted and have brought meals and gone out for a bite to eat . But for the most part, I don’t have much of a social life either outside this house. Thankfully I have a friend thousands of miles away (not really that far, but it feels like it!) in Georgia who puts up with my incessant rants via text -- maybe someday I’ll meet her!!
Some of you may be reading this thinking WOW. She is really ungrateful and that’s really rude. I’m sorry you feel that way. I know it’s hard to comprehend and understand what Jon & I are going through. I know it’s sad and depressing to talk about our life. But when someone has cancer or breaks a bone or someone dies - everyone jumps to shower that family with help and support, no? Jon’s “cancer” is long term. We’ve been dealing with it for almost 8 years and it may be for the rest of our lives. It’s just as hard as the first day - no, make that harder, because we
have 3 kids now. But it’s easy for people to forget. Easy for people to just move on and just say all I can do is pray. Where is the love in that? If your child had long term health care needs, would you grow “accustomed” to them and be less concerned about their well-being, emotionally and physically? No. You would be there every day. Now, I’m not saying that our life is your number one priority. Goodness I know people have lives. I know people have children. I know people have jobs, extracurricular activities, and other friends. I also know other people are dealing with hard times and heartache too. So I’m not saying HEY LOOK AT ME, I’M SPECIAL. I’m
not. We’re not. But we do need friends and genuine love and support, and we feel very abandoned.
Saying all that, I know we need to trust God, and we DO - but He created us to love one another.
He created us for each other. I wouldn’t wish my life on my worst enemy, and I can imagine being on the other side of the picture and it being difficult to know how to love and to express
that love. All I ask is that you try. If not for/to me - to my kids. To Jonathan. We’re human, and humans crave love. It won’t take away our pain, it won’t take away our struggles, but at the end of the day it will make us SMILE and feel like we really matter to someone and that someone actually knows we’re still here and loves us.
So now that I’m done my pity party, I’ve got to get back to work, which is a whole other post!
Again, I don’t mean this post to be offensive to anyone or to hurt anyone’s feelings. But I don’t
feel as a Christian I should have to pretend or hide the way I feel....and maybe some of you don’t even realize how much we’re hurting or how much we need this kind of support. Now you do. So please, if not for me, for Jon - don’t let him go through this alone - and for the kids, help us make them realize how special they are and how loved they are, regardless of the stress at home.
You never know how something so small might make our day THAT much brighter.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Nine Years!!
Nine years ago today, with weather EXACTLY like we
have today, I was getting ready to marry the man of my dreams.
Some of you may not know the story of "us".
We met in January 2001 in the college & career class at our church. After class that night a group of us went for a bite to eat. I thought he was cute (though his look couldn't really be defined as 'cute' at the time if you knew Jon then) and he apparently thought I was pretty hot stuff. After that, we didn't see each other for another 10 months.
In December 2001 we hung out a few times at our (now) closest friend Tim's house through a mutual girlfriend of mine. After a few times, she let Jon know I was interested and that was his green light!!
He called me on Christmas Eve 2001 and asked if I wanted to grab a bite to eat. We met at Denny's on Rt 30. I remember sitting there and just basically laying out all the rules of our relationship. It felt so relaxed and amazing. I felt like we just KNEW that we would be together forever.
The next day he invited me to go see a movie with Tim & his parents (Wayne & Rebecca Smuck). We saw Kate & Leopold. I thought it was a terribly boring movie -- though honestly I couldn't tell you a single thing about it. All I could think about was this guy sitting next to me who was interested in ME. Could it be for real???
The next day he called again and we went to the Olive Garden for lunch. That lunch would change our lives. Nothing specific happened, but we sat there and we talked about our dreams, our plans for our future...and then we started talking about what we would name our children and how many we wanted to have. Jon had Nevaeh's name picked out before he ever met me :) I love that...and I think about it every time I say her name.
From that day for the next 5 days we were inseparable except when he went home to sleep, which was only for a few short hours.
On New Years Day 2002, Jonathan & I went with my parents to Mary Jane's (diner) and Jonathan asked my parents' blessing to marry me. I think they were both extremely skeptical, but supportive. My dad said "You're not giving her back once you marry her." Jon said "Don't worry, I would NEVER give her back."
A few short days later Jon flew back toKansas
Then, in February I was able to fly out to see him. I stayed in the female dorms with a friend of his.
On February 28, 2002, while inKansas
Then we went in the front entrance to the sanctuary, which was pitch black. Next thing you know, a spotlight shines on the altar and Pachelbel's Canon started playing. We walked to the altar where the box with my ring was, and he proposed.
Come to find out when he was in the bathroom he was putting on a mic and doing a sound check (thus all the flushes) with Nathan who was up in the sound booth. I have the proposal on video thanks to him!
Of course I said yes.
We were married on November 16, 2002, just 11 months after our first date.
So if you missed that timeline =
1/2001 - meet for the first time
12/24/2001 - first date
1/1/2002 - ask parents' permission
2/28/2002 - formal proposal
11/16/2002 - got hitched!
We had a wonderful first year of just us.
In October of 2003 we found out we were pregnant, and on December 10, 2003, found out we were having twins!!
February 7, 2004, is when life took a bit of a different turn, when Jon started having back pain and abdominal pain. From that point life has been nothing like we planned. There have been a lot of tears. There have been a lot of fights. There have been times when I wanted to quit (Jon has NEVER faltered in his commitment to me) because I thought walking away would be easier.
Through 9 years we have moved 8 times before finally moving in our OWN brand new home (which was a journey all its own). We lived on our own in 3 apartments, with Jon's parents twice, and with my parents once while our home was being built. I hope to grow old and die in this house after the journey that was!!!
We have three amazingly smart & beautiful children (who mostly favor their daddy's side of the family). Some days we pray for one more ... most days we can't imagine one more!!! God has a plan :)
We get to spend a lot of time together given our situation. Some days that's really, really annoying. I mean, it's only human to go crazy being around the same person 24/7, right?! But when I allow myself to step back and thank God for my blessings the way I should, I realize that I truly am VERY blessed to have the time that I do with my husband. Some wives get very little time with their spouses, some have spouses who could care less to spend time with them, and there are those whose spouses are overseas fighting for our freedom.
I am thankful for my husband and the last nine years we have been married.
So to you Jonathan, I say
Happy Anniversary, My Love.
Some of you may not know the story of "us".
We met in January 2001 in the college & career class at our church. After class that night a group of us went for a bite to eat. I thought he was cute (though his look couldn't really be defined as 'cute' at the time if you knew Jon then) and he apparently thought I was pretty hot stuff. After that, we didn't see each other for another 10 months.
In December 2001 we hung out a few times at our (now) closest friend Tim's house through a mutual girlfriend of mine. After a few times, she let Jon know I was interested and that was his green light!!
He called me on Christmas Eve 2001 and asked if I wanted to grab a bite to eat. We met at Denny's on Rt 30. I remember sitting there and just basically laying out all the rules of our relationship. It felt so relaxed and amazing. I felt like we just KNEW that we would be together forever.
The next day he invited me to go see a movie with Tim & his parents (Wayne & Rebecca Smuck). We saw Kate & Leopold. I thought it was a terribly boring movie -- though honestly I couldn't tell you a single thing about it. All I could think about was this guy sitting next to me who was interested in ME. Could it be for real???
The next day he called again and we went to the Olive Garden for lunch. That lunch would change our lives. Nothing specific happened, but we sat there and we talked about our dreams, our plans for our future...and then we started talking about what we would name our children and how many we wanted to have. Jon had Nevaeh's name picked out before he ever met me :) I love that...and I think about it every time I say her name.
From that day for the next 5 days we were inseparable except when he went home to sleep, which was only for a few short hours.
On New Years Day 2002, Jonathan & I went with my parents to Mary Jane's (diner) and Jonathan asked my parents' blessing to marry me. I think they were both extremely skeptical, but supportive. My dad said "You're not giving her back once you marry her." Jon said "Don't worry, I would NEVER give her back."
A few short days later Jon flew back to
Then, in February I was able to fly out to see him. I stayed in the female dorms with a friend of his.
On February 28, 2002, while in
Then we went in the front entrance to the sanctuary, which was pitch black. Next thing you know, a spotlight shines on the altar and Pachelbel's Canon started playing. We walked to the altar where the box with my ring was, and he proposed.
Come to find out when he was in the bathroom he was putting on a mic and doing a sound check (thus all the flushes) with Nathan who was up in the sound booth. I have the proposal on video thanks to him!
Of course I said yes.
We were married on November 16, 2002, just 11 months after our first date.
So if you missed that timeline =
1/2001 - meet for the first time
12/24/2001 - first date
1/1/2002 - ask parents' permission
2/28/2002 - formal proposal
11/16/2002 - got hitched!
We had a wonderful first year of just us.
In October of 2003 we found out we were pregnant, and on December 10, 2003, found out we were having twins!!
February 7, 2004, is when life took a bit of a different turn, when Jon started having back pain and abdominal pain. From that point life has been nothing like we planned. There have been a lot of tears. There have been a lot of fights. There have been times when I wanted to quit (Jon has NEVER faltered in his commitment to me) because I thought walking away would be easier.
Through 9 years we have moved 8 times before finally moving in our OWN brand new home (which was a journey all its own). We lived on our own in 3 apartments, with Jon's parents twice, and with my parents once while our home was being built. I hope to grow old and die in this house after the journey that was!!!
We have three amazingly smart & beautiful children (who mostly favor their daddy's side of the family). Some days we pray for one more ... most days we can't imagine one more!!! God has a plan :)
We get to spend a lot of time together given our situation. Some days that's really, really annoying. I mean, it's only human to go crazy being around the same person 24/7, right?! But when I allow myself to step back and thank God for my blessings the way I should, I realize that I truly am VERY blessed to have the time that I do with my husband. Some wives get very little time with their spouses, some have spouses who could care less to spend time with them, and there are those whose spouses are overseas fighting for our freedom.
I am thankful for my husband and the last nine years we have been married.
So to you Jonathan, I say
Happy Anniversary, My Love.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Disappointment, again.
Just a brief update while I break for my lunch today.
Not a whole lot has changed.
Jonathan is in a great deal of pain, especially migraines and ringing in his ears. His PCP says this is "normal" for what he calls concussion syndrome ... and it can last for months, unfortunately.
Today we received the results of the T-spine MRI that was done last week. There were no abnormalities, and we are to follow up with Dr. L in six months. I knew this would happen, but apparently there's nothing I can do to change it. It upsets me.
So, in the meantime he has an appointment scheduled for endocrinology on 12/2. I'm not sure what that's for, but we'll see.
Also, our Senior Pastor is putting in a call to a friend of his who is an internist @ Hershey to see if he will take on Jon's case or can direct us to someone who can maybe help him. I am very thankful for this and pray that it will help us get some answers.
I still haven't decided what to do about a family doctor. Quite frankly the thought of it scares me. Just when I think I know who to get him in with, I hear something about someone else and question it all over again. I need to just bite the bullet and pick one. I figure it can't be worse than the one he has!!
Not much else going on around here. Sunday was my 32nd birthday -- and it was pretty uneventful, which is good :) Tomorrow is Jon & my 9th wedding anniversary. I have so many emotions about this ... that I can't put them into words, but I'll choose one - thankful. I am very thankful for my husband.
As far as the kids -- wow. For about a week now Riley has had energy beyond belief. He doesn't stop for a second and it's crazy exhausting. I just want to lock myself in the room and cry half the time, but Jon & I are trying to take shifts and make sure each of us gets a breather when we need it to make it through.
So please continue to pray for Jon's healing, pain relief, and our family. We love each of you and appreciate all you do!!!
Not a whole lot has changed.
Jonathan is in a great deal of pain, especially migraines and ringing in his ears. His PCP says this is "normal" for what he calls concussion syndrome ... and it can last for months, unfortunately.
Today we received the results of the T-spine MRI that was done last week. There were no abnormalities, and we are to follow up with Dr. L in six months. I knew this would happen, but apparently there's nothing I can do to change it. It upsets me.
So, in the meantime he has an appointment scheduled for endocrinology on 12/2. I'm not sure what that's for, but we'll see.
Also, our Senior Pastor is putting in a call to a friend of his who is an internist @ Hershey to see if he will take on Jon's case or can direct us to someone who can maybe help him. I am very thankful for this and pray that it will help us get some answers.
I still haven't decided what to do about a family doctor. Quite frankly the thought of it scares me. Just when I think I know who to get him in with, I hear something about someone else and question it all over again. I need to just bite the bullet and pick one. I figure it can't be worse than the one he has!!
Not much else going on around here. Sunday was my 32nd birthday -- and it was pretty uneventful, which is good :) Tomorrow is Jon & my 9th wedding anniversary. I have so many emotions about this ... that I can't put them into words, but I'll choose one - thankful. I am very thankful for my husband.
As far as the kids -- wow. For about a week now Riley has had energy beyond belief. He doesn't stop for a second and it's crazy exhausting. I just want to lock myself in the room and cry half the time, but Jon & I are trying to take shifts and make sure each of us gets a breather when we need it to make it through.
So please continue to pray for Jon's healing, pain relief, and our family. We love each of you and appreciate all you do!!!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Progress Report
So today we saw the neurologist at Hershey, Dr. L.
I can't personally say I felt it was a great appointment, but we've been to much worse.
We reviewed what's been going on since he last saw him (office visit in July, but he performed the EMG in August as well).
He strongly feels that Jon's "acute" problems that he's been dealing with the last 7 months are directly related to the vitamin deficiencies which are a complication from his gastric bypass surgery ('04). Apparently being deficient in B12 is a pretty nasty thing, and we have zero clue how long he has been deficient.
The current plan is to have his local doctor, whether that be his family physician or the surgeon or someone new, maintain treatment for the vitamins. However, Dr. L wants to do an MRI of his T-spine (the middle), which we don't see in the records has ever been done. He is looking to see if there is visible spinal cord damage (could be from the B12 deficiency) or anything really.
Dr. L says Hershey's MRI machines are better than here in York (don't doubt that), so he said it needs to be done there. It's a drive, and I truly despise driving (I was on the road I think about 5 hours today total. ick) but it could be much worse. Thankfully, they were able to get him an appointment for Monday, the 7th, at 4:45!! So we should know results of that maybe within a week. Good news.
The part that frustrates me, though I won't call it 'bad news' is this. At this point he isn't scheduled to return to Dr. L until 6 months. Obviously that can change based on any findings on the MRI...but my fear is if nothing is found, he just endures this pain every day and nothing progresses. This part angers me. I was crying, begging the doctor to DO something. ANYTHING. He kindly listened and tried to reassure me that he was doing everything he could. I grumbled in my heart "well, it's not enough". I sputtered through tears and said this is EVERY DAY LIFE for us. We leave here today, say the MRI is normal and we don't see you for six months, and yet every. single. day. we face this. He said unfortunately there's a shortage of neurologists, which makes things even more difficult. Did you know this? I didn't. On the other hand, he said it doesn't do any good to come see him every so many weeks just to say the same things. Um, my point exactly!!! Let's do something!
Ugh. So at this point all we can do is get the MRI and pray for some answers.
Secondly, tomorrow morning Jon goes to Dr. G (who did his surgery) to get a B12 injection. They weren't very clear on a long term plan. I intend to make them GET clear on the plan.
I want to know how often they intend to check his levels, how often he's going to receive injections (I've heard people getting them weekly for long term), and who they can refer him to for help monitoring for the rest of his life, since obviously this will be an issue to keep a close eye on ... forever.
Lastly in the plan, my mother & I are going to work on finding some good vitamin supplements to boost those levels...rather than pills. She's a big vitamin guru, but we need to find affordable options. Not that I put a price on Jon's health, but we don't have a money tree either.
So...that's the update.
On a fun note, as of 8:00 in the morning when we get the girls on the bus, Jon & I will have a weekend to ourselves until Sunday evening. Last year for Christmas my mother gave us a gift certificate for a one night stay at a B&B in Lancaster, plus a Shady Maple gift card (yum!). She also keeps the kids! We'll be using that and exploring around Lancaster & Lititz and just enjoying our time together. I'm looking forward to the peace, quiet, and just ... being.
I can't personally say I felt it was a great appointment, but we've been to much worse.
We reviewed what's been going on since he last saw him (office visit in July, but he performed the EMG in August as well).
He strongly feels that Jon's "acute" problems that he's been dealing with the last 7 months are directly related to the vitamin deficiencies which are a complication from his gastric bypass surgery ('04). Apparently being deficient in B12 is a pretty nasty thing, and we have zero clue how long he has been deficient.
The current plan is to have his local doctor, whether that be his family physician or the surgeon or someone new, maintain treatment for the vitamins. However, Dr. L wants to do an MRI of his T-spine (the middle), which we don't see in the records has ever been done. He is looking to see if there is visible spinal cord damage (could be from the B12 deficiency) or anything really.
Dr. L says Hershey's MRI machines are better than here in York (don't doubt that), so he said it needs to be done there. It's a drive, and I truly despise driving (I was on the road I think about 5 hours today total. ick) but it could be much worse. Thankfully, they were able to get him an appointment for Monday, the 7th, at 4:45!! So we should know results of that maybe within a week. Good news.
The part that frustrates me, though I won't call it 'bad news' is this. At this point he isn't scheduled to return to Dr. L until 6 months. Obviously that can change based on any findings on the MRI...but my fear is if nothing is found, he just endures this pain every day and nothing progresses. This part angers me. I was crying, begging the doctor to DO something. ANYTHING. He kindly listened and tried to reassure me that he was doing everything he could. I grumbled in my heart "well, it's not enough". I sputtered through tears and said this is EVERY DAY LIFE for us. We leave here today, say the MRI is normal and we don't see you for six months, and yet every. single. day. we face this. He said unfortunately there's a shortage of neurologists, which makes things even more difficult. Did you know this? I didn't. On the other hand, he said it doesn't do any good to come see him every so many weeks just to say the same things. Um, my point exactly!!! Let's do something!
Ugh. So at this point all we can do is get the MRI and pray for some answers.
Secondly, tomorrow morning Jon goes to Dr. G (who did his surgery) to get a B12 injection. They weren't very clear on a long term plan. I intend to make them GET clear on the plan.
I want to know how often they intend to check his levels, how often he's going to receive injections (I've heard people getting them weekly for long term), and who they can refer him to for help monitoring for the rest of his life, since obviously this will be an issue to keep a close eye on ... forever.
Lastly in the plan, my mother & I are going to work on finding some good vitamin supplements to boost those levels...rather than pills. She's a big vitamin guru, but we need to find affordable options. Not that I put a price on Jon's health, but we don't have a money tree either.
So...that's the update.
On a fun note, as of 8:00 in the morning when we get the girls on the bus, Jon & I will have a weekend to ourselves until Sunday evening. Last year for Christmas my mother gave us a gift certificate for a one night stay at a B&B in Lancaster, plus a Shady Maple gift card (yum!). She also keeps the kids! We'll be using that and exploring around Lancaster & Lititz and just enjoying our time together. I'm looking forward to the peace, quiet, and just ... being.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
You have a degree in what exactly?
About two weeks ago I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out what step to take next with Jon's healthcare. I feel like we've hit another wall. It's nothing new. We're used to it. But it's always painfully frustrating to get past.
He's been in this condition for 7 months now. Given his history over the last seven years (he first got sick on February 11, '04), there are seasons of good and seasons of not-so-good with how he feels. This has been the longest season of not-so-good since he first was sick. At this point we've tried to come to grips with the fact that this just may be his new 'normal'. Not that we're accepting it and just ignoring it . . . we're still very much looking for the right doctor and treatment and praying every day for healing. However, when you deal with something for so long, you learn to cope. We've finally gotten past the initial 'trauma' of the situation and we're learning how to make life work with the limitations. It still sucks. Jon is still sick. It's still a daily mountain to overcome.
Now, back to that wall. I started thinking, what doctor can we try next? We feel the need to search for a new family physician, as Jon's current one seems to be somewhat "exhausted" with Jon's situation. I'm not saying he doesn't care, but he just isn't motivated, shall we say, to find a solution as much as we need him to be. So, in thinking about the problems he has been having with his Vitamin D levels, I was googling the relation to this and gastric bypass patients. Wow. It was an eye opener. . .and made me think I needed to place a call to his surgeon. So I did. I told them the history since he was last seen, and they got him in the very next day. (coincidence? I think not).
Sadly, that appointment was not as fruitful as I would have hoped. He did a quick check over him, gave him a sheet of vitamins they recommend for bypass patients, ordered some labs, and sent him on his way saying "see you in a year". A year? Really?! Nice.
So fast forward to today, about 2 weeks later. They haven't called with his lab results. One would assume they were within normal range if a doctor didn't call, right? Or maybe yet again we feel like they just don't care about Jon. Why is that? Does he have a black mark on him or something? I mean really...the treatment he receives (or shall I say lack of) just baffles me. ANGERS me. Would these doctors respond the same if this was their family member? Their child? Their spouse? Their parent? I doubt it. I want to scream that at them every time I feel they aren't doing anything (which is pretty much always). Whoa -- off the rant. Back to my point. So tomorrow Jon has an appointment with Hershey Neurology. I have zero expectations of the appointment. I don't mean I don't think anything will happen, I mean I have no clue what the plan is. It's a 'follow up'...or continuing care visit or whatever. But I have no clue what the doctor is thinking or what his next step is. Frustrating. Again. So, I was thinking this morning, you know Hershey is going to want to know those lab results. So I had Jon call the surgeon to get them.
Wow.
So way back in August when the neurologist thought Jon's falling, memory loss, and pain issues could be due to a vitamin deficiency - his Vitamin D was originally 18. I don't remember what the B12 was, but Jon says it was in the 200's.
He was put on 50,000 i.u. pill of Vitamin D per week, PLUS 3,000 i.u. daily. That's 71,000 i.u. of Vit D per week. It was then checked about 8 weeks after he started this regiment, and it was unchanged. Exactly 18 again. So they increased the 50,000 i.u. pill to twice a week, discontinue the daily pills. So 100,000 i.u. of Vitamin D per week. His number today = 14. Say what? Yes, it decreased.
Now to the Vitamin B12. Like I said, I'm unclear what the number was exactly before, but somewhere in the 200's we'll say. He's been taking 1,000 mcg of B12 per day for almost 3 months now. His number today = 178. Yes, also decreased.
So I ask Jon what their solution is. Are you ready?
As far as the Vitamin D - nothing. They have zero solution. Just keep taking the pills. What. the. - I'll bite my tongue on that one.
The B12, he is to increase to two pills a day (total of 2,000 mcg/day), and he will go in for a 'one time' shot of B12 on Friday morning.
I. am. livid. If I could make this computer type words with flames flying out of them, I would. Seriously people? OBVIOUSLY HE HAS AN ABSORPTION PROBLEM. Oh, so let's just pump him full of more pills.
I am angry. Very angry. And sad. I want to cry until I can't cry anymore. No matter how many times I am disappointed and hear frustrating news, every single time it makes me want to cry buckets of tears. I am in so much pain emotionally I don't know where to go with it. I'm tired of it. WHY? What is wrong with healthcare professionals today? Are we really picking all the WRONG ones? If I were a physician, I would take personal pride and self worth and accomplishment in taking on a patient and working my very hardest to find a cure or at least HELP the person live a more fulfilling and satisfying life. Seriously, you can't even comprehend what it's like. These doctors look us in the face and say "I don't know" and send you on your way, pocketing gobs of copays in the meantime. *insert angry face*
So, tomorrow we go to Hershey. I feel physically sick to my stomach. I try SO hard not to get my hopes up or have expectations that are too high, but even with ZERO expectations, it's a hard blow when you have no solution.
So please just continue to pray. I know, you are. And I count every prayer as a blessing, because I know it's what has kept ME going, and kept Jon going, and kept our marriage and family together.
He's been in this condition for 7 months now. Given his history over the last seven years (he first got sick on February 11, '04), there are seasons of good and seasons of not-so-good with how he feels. This has been the longest season of not-so-good since he first was sick. At this point we've tried to come to grips with the fact that this just may be his new 'normal'. Not that we're accepting it and just ignoring it . . . we're still very much looking for the right doctor and treatment and praying every day for healing. However, when you deal with something for so long, you learn to cope. We've finally gotten past the initial 'trauma' of the situation and we're learning how to make life work with the limitations. It still sucks. Jon is still sick. It's still a daily mountain to overcome.
Now, back to that wall. I started thinking, what doctor can we try next? We feel the need to search for a new family physician, as Jon's current one seems to be somewhat "exhausted" with Jon's situation. I'm not saying he doesn't care, but he just isn't motivated, shall we say, to find a solution as much as we need him to be. So, in thinking about the problems he has been having with his Vitamin D levels, I was googling the relation to this and gastric bypass patients. Wow. It was an eye opener. . .and made me think I needed to place a call to his surgeon. So I did. I told them the history since he was last seen, and they got him in the very next day. (coincidence? I think not).
Sadly, that appointment was not as fruitful as I would have hoped. He did a quick check over him, gave him a sheet of vitamins they recommend for bypass patients, ordered some labs, and sent him on his way saying "see you in a year". A year? Really?! Nice.
So fast forward to today, about 2 weeks later. They haven't called with his lab results. One would assume they were within normal range if a doctor didn't call, right? Or maybe yet again we feel like they just don't care about Jon. Why is that? Does he have a black mark on him or something? I mean really...the treatment he receives (or shall I say lack of) just baffles me. ANGERS me. Would these doctors respond the same if this was their family member? Their child? Their spouse? Their parent? I doubt it. I want to scream that at them every time I feel they aren't doing anything (which is pretty much always). Whoa -- off the rant. Back to my point. So tomorrow Jon has an appointment with Hershey Neurology. I have zero expectations of the appointment. I don't mean I don't think anything will happen, I mean I have no clue what the plan is. It's a 'follow up'...or continuing care visit or whatever. But I have no clue what the doctor is thinking or what his next step is. Frustrating. Again. So, I was thinking this morning, you know Hershey is going to want to know those lab results. So I had Jon call the surgeon to get them.
Wow.
So way back in August when the neurologist thought Jon's falling, memory loss, and pain issues could be due to a vitamin deficiency - his Vitamin D was originally 18. I don't remember what the B12 was, but Jon says it was in the 200's.
He was put on 50,000 i.u. pill of Vitamin D per week, PLUS 3,000 i.u. daily. That's 71,000 i.u. of Vit D per week. It was then checked about 8 weeks after he started this regiment, and it was unchanged. Exactly 18 again. So they increased the 50,000 i.u. pill to twice a week, discontinue the daily pills. So 100,000 i.u. of Vitamin D per week. His number today = 14. Say what? Yes, it decreased.
Now to the Vitamin B12. Like I said, I'm unclear what the number was exactly before, but somewhere in the 200's we'll say. He's been taking 1,000 mcg of B12 per day for almost 3 months now. His number today = 178. Yes, also decreased.
So I ask Jon what their solution is. Are you ready?
As far as the Vitamin D - nothing. They have zero solution. Just keep taking the pills. What. the. - I'll bite my tongue on that one.
The B12, he is to increase to two pills a day (total of 2,000 mcg/day), and he will go in for a 'one time' shot of B12 on Friday morning.
I. am. livid. If I could make this computer type words with flames flying out of them, I would. Seriously people? OBVIOUSLY HE HAS AN ABSORPTION PROBLEM. Oh, so let's just pump him full of more pills.
I am angry. Very angry. And sad. I want to cry until I can't cry anymore. No matter how many times I am disappointed and hear frustrating news, every single time it makes me want to cry buckets of tears. I am in so much pain emotionally I don't know where to go with it. I'm tired of it. WHY? What is wrong with healthcare professionals today? Are we really picking all the WRONG ones? If I were a physician, I would take personal pride and self worth and accomplishment in taking on a patient and working my very hardest to find a cure or at least HELP the person live a more fulfilling and satisfying life. Seriously, you can't even comprehend what it's like. These doctors look us in the face and say "I don't know" and send you on your way, pocketing gobs of copays in the meantime. *insert angry face*
So, tomorrow we go to Hershey. I feel physically sick to my stomach. I try SO hard not to get my hopes up or have expectations that are too high, but even with ZERO expectations, it's a hard blow when you have no solution.
So please just continue to pray. I know, you are. And I count every prayer as a blessing, because I know it's what has kept ME going, and kept Jon going, and kept our marriage and family together.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Pumpkins Galore
Last week at Riley's preschool fall festival was the first time I had ever carved a pumpkin. It had always seemed, I don't know, boring? I guess it just never really appealed to me. Until I tried it. I thought it was so much fun! Pumpkins were sparse at this point in the season, so the stop I made at Whitcombs (close to home) didn't produce very big pumpkins for us to carve, but we had fun anyway. I can't wait until October next year - we're going to get big huge ones and lots of 'em and carve them :)
Sarah's
Natalie's
Nevaeh's
Riley's (done by me)
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Four Years Already?!
Today the little man turned four. F.O.U.R. I can hardly believe it. It's been a challenging year (whoever said terrible twos obviously hadn't been through the terroristic threes!), but he really is a funny little guy.
Today we had planned on a little "party" to celebrate. God had different plans and decided to have it snow several inches! Some friends & family weren't able to make it because of the weather, but we'd rather them be safe :)
The boy. loves. guns and hunting. My parents gave him this crossbow and he LOVES it. It's really a neat toy, and it's funny to see him so into something! I'm not a big fan of the guns, but he does like them for shooting animals, so I guess that's good :)
Today we had planned on a little "party" to celebrate. God had different plans and decided to have it snow several inches! Some friends & family weren't able to make it because of the weather, but we'd rather them be safe :)
The boy. loves. guns and hunting. My parents gave him this crossbow and he LOVES it. It's really a neat toy, and it's funny to see him so into something! I'm not a big fan of the guns, but he does like them for shooting animals, so I guess that's good :)
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